More trains
Dec. 15th, 2011 11:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altivoWe went to Rockford to look at trains this afternoon, rather than Chicago. The first place we tried was no longer there. A different hobby shop, which did have a few trains but mostly gaming figures and plastic models, seems to have replaced it. The owner told us that the original place closed back around 2008. So much for using Google to find train dealers.
However, the second try was Midwest Rail Exchange in Loves Park, and they are very much alive. Not a large shop, but all they stock is HO and N scale train stuff. I got enough track to start playing around, and Gary insisted on buying two more box cars since they had some with DT&I logos. We got a 60 ft. metal body auto parts car, and a 40 ft. wooden box car with the old round DT&I logo from the steam days. The latter has real sliding doors on both sides which Gary found particularly delightful.
The mail today brought the locomotive I purchased withcasey382's advice, and a covered triple hopper gondola car, also with DT&I paint job. The two cabooses are still in transit, but probably will show up tomorrow or Saturday.
Here's a photo of the train as it exists so far, assembled and running a brief locomotive test so I could do the Ebay feedback.
And here's a closeup of the engine. Note that it isn't yet painted, but I'll be doing it in DT&I's orange scheme from the 1950s, with the steam era logo that appeared on their GP-7's (the first Diesels they bought.) The US quarter is in the photo for scale. It's just under an inch in diameter, or 24 mm for the metric folks.
When I got a small loop of track assembled and under power, we were pleased to find that the locomotive runs smoothly and quietly both forward and reverse. The headlights on front or back activate appropriately depending on the direction of movement. The cars make amusing teeny little clickety clack sounds as they pass over the track joints. I've only ever seen N scale equipment running in noisy environments, so I was really pleased with the actual sound in a quiet room.
However, the second try was Midwest Rail Exchange in Loves Park, and they are very much alive. Not a large shop, but all they stock is HO and N scale train stuff. I got enough track to start playing around, and Gary insisted on buying two more box cars since they had some with DT&I logos. We got a 60 ft. metal body auto parts car, and a 40 ft. wooden box car with the old round DT&I logo from the steam days. The latter has real sliding doors on both sides which Gary found particularly delightful.
The mail today brought the locomotive I purchased with
casey382's advice, and a covered triple hopper gondola car, also with DT&I paint job. The two cabooses are still in transit, but probably will show up tomorrow or Saturday.Here's a photo of the train as it exists so far, assembled and running a brief locomotive test so I could do the Ebay feedback.
And here's a closeup of the engine. Note that it isn't yet painted, but I'll be doing it in DT&I's orange scheme from the 1950s, with the steam era logo that appeared on their GP-7's (the first Diesels they bought.) The US quarter is in the photo for scale. It's just under an inch in diameter, or 24 mm for the metric folks.
When I got a small loop of track assembled and under power, we were pleased to find that the locomotive runs smoothly and quietly both forward and reverse. The headlights on front or back activate appropriately depending on the direction of movement. The cars make amusing teeny little clickety clack sounds as they pass over the track joints. I've only ever seen N scale equipment running in noisy environments, so I was really pleased with the actual sound in a quiet room.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 12:00 pm (UTC)The name was used for just a hundred years, about 1878 to 1985 or so. I'm surprised, frankly, that commercial rolling stock with DT&I logos is found at all. There isn't a lot of it. Locomotives are more costly, and it doesn't pay to make up a batch for a little known or sought after line and have them sit around in inventory. Hence I've been watching for unpainted ones that I will fix up myself.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 06:51 pm (UTC)Despite the splitting up though, the whole thing runs pretty much as it did before privitisation. Eight times more expensive ticket wise (in real terms) of course, but that goes without saying of course.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-16 07:22 pm (UTC)We once had literally dozens of railroads vying with each other for passenger and freight custom. Now there are about four freight railroads left and only Amtrak takes passengers.
I'm not counting local commuter lines, which do remain in a few cities, subsidized locally. Most of those work pretty well, provided you are in a suburban location that has service and only want to get into the downtown area. Getting from one suburb to another is usually just about impossible. Weekend travel is usually very limited too. They rely on commuters going to work to cover the cost of operation.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-17 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-12-18 04:02 am (UTC)Gary is also caught up in this now. He wants to do a t-track module for Fuzzy Bear Farm that will have bears working bee hives and a truck with the Fuzzy Bear logo. And we want to get a rail car and paint it with the Fuzzy Bear logo and the slogan "Pure honey - Produced locally - Distributed globally." I'm thinking a tank car, just for the absurdity of it. Something with 50 gallon drums would be more realistic, though.
He got me a couple of DT&I history books for my birthday. Lots of photos of various orange GPs pulling mixed freight in one. The other covers the era when Henry Ford owned the road (1920-1929) and has a lot of black and white photos of steam equipment.